Time of Troubles

This event may be ignored or contradicted by later stories. Stories prior to Mirage were written by authors outside of Wizards of the Coast.

Learn from the Past This event may be ignored or contradicted by later stories. Stories prior to Mirage were written by authors outside of Wizards of the Coast. History is not delicately woven.

[["Event Information",[{"data":"[[War with Phyrexia]]","label":"Era"},{"data":"4069 [[AR]]","label":"Date"},{"data":"[[Kush]], [[Aerona]], [[Dominaria (plane)|Dominaria]]","label":"Location"},{"data":"[[Garth]], [[Hammen]], [[Jimak Ravelth]], [[Kirlen]], [[Kuthuman]], [[Naru]], [[Norreen]], [[Tulan]], [[Uriah Aswark]], [[Varena]], [[Varnel Buckara]], [[Zarel Ewine]] and many othersan","label":"Characters"},{"data":"*Destruction of vast areas of the city of [[Kush]] and thousands of deaths, including [[Zarel Ewine]], [[Jimak Ravelth]], [[Tulan]], [[Varnel Buckara]] and [[Uriah Aswark]]\n*Rise of the rebuilt city of [[Estark]] and reestablishment of all five houses, with [[Varena]] as the new [[Grand Master of the Arena]].","label":"Outcome"},{"data":"[[Arena (novel)|The Arena novel]]","label":"Storyline sources"}]],["[[Timeline]]",[{"data":"[[Mending of the Clan Tree]]\n\n[[Time of Troubles|Time of Troubles]]\n[[Destruction of White Ridge]]"}]]]

Time of Troubles
Event Information
Era	War with Phyrexia
Date	4069 AR
Location	Kush, Aerona, Dominaria
Characters	Garth, Hammen, Jimak Ravelth, Kirlen, Kuthuman, Naru, Norreen, Tulan, Uriah Aswark, Varena, Varnel Buckara, Zarel Ewine and many othersan
Outcome	Destruction of vast areas of the city of Kush and thousands of deaths, including Zarel Ewine, Jimak Ravelth, Tulan, Varnel Buckara and Uriah Aswark Rise of the rebuilt city of Estark and reestablishment of all five houses, with Varena as the new Grand Master of the Arena.
Storyline sources	The Arena novel
Timeline
Mending of the Clan Tree Time of Troubles Destruction of White Ridge

The Time of Troubles was event that happened in the city of Kush in 4069 AR.

Description

The Time of Troubles was a period of upheaval and strife in the city of Kush, marked by the return of the wizard Garth and the collapse of the brutal regime that had long controlled the city.

Garth arrived in the city of Kush and was quickly drawn into its deadly culture of magical duels and gladiatorial combat. He found an ally in Hammen, an old thief who led a brotherhood of pickpockets. Through a public magical duel, Garth earned the moniker "One-Eye" and soon became a figure of interest among the warring Four Houses of Fighter Wizards.

Kush was a city where bloodsport reigned supreme, with its populace enthralled by battles fought both in the streets and in the Arena. Zarel Ewine, the Grand Master of the Arena, wielded immense power, keeping both the populace and the Four Houses in check. Each year, the Festival of the Arena was held, originally a test of skill between the Houses. However, after the former Grand Master Kuthuman had destroyed the Fifth House of Oor-tael and ascended to Planeswalker status, the festival had turned into a bloodbath. Kuthuman returned annually, taking his tribute of mana and luring the tournament’s victor to supposed glory, only to kill them and steal their power.

During his time in Kush, Garth encountered Norreen, a Benalish warrior seeking to prove herself and escape the rigid caste system of her homeland. After aiding her against dishonorable foes, he gained her reluctant gratitude. Garth continued to engage in magical duels, shifting allegiances among the Four Houses and inciting discord, leading to increased unrest in the city.

Captured by Grand Master Zarel, Garth was subjected to torture to extract his motives. However, he was freed by Hammen, Norreen, and Varena, a respected fighter with whom he had shared a brief romance. He soon revealed his true origins: he was a survivor of the destroyed Fifth House, the son of its slain leader. Hammen, once a loyal servant of his father, had sought to protect him in the years since. When Garth entered the Arena under the banner of the lost House, the city erupted into chaos.

The final battles of the Festival were declared deathmatches by Zarel and Kuthuman to ensure Garth's demise and to quell growing dissent. Fighters who opposed the decree were summarily executed. In one of the most tragic moments of the conflict, Garth was forced to kill Varena in a duel, as her warrior's honor bound her to fight to the death.

Despite overwhelming odds, Garth emerged as the tournament's champion, only to be whisked away by Kuthuman, who attempted to kill him. However, Garth turned the tables, wounding the Planeswalker and escaping his clutches. Meanwhile, in Kush, the city erupted into open rebellion. The Four Houses, emboldened by Garth’s defiance, turned against Zarel, but were decimated in the conflict. Zarel himself faced a mob, slaughtering many before preparing to execute Hammen, Norreen, and their ally, the massive but simple-minded fighter Naru. At the last moment, Garth returned, engaging in a climactic duel with Zarel and ultimately driving a dagger into his heart, ending his tyranny. In the aftermath, as the city burned, Norreen embraced Garth — only for the two of them to vanish, drawn away once more by Kuthuman.

Three years later, the Westlands were renamed Kush, and the old city had been rebuilt, taking the new name Estark, its Arena restored to a contest of skill rather than senseless bloodshed. Hammen and Naru had risen to become Masters of their respective Houses, and the resurrected Varena had been named the new Grand Master. Order had returned to the city. In a final twist, Norreen and Garth reappeared, having defeated Kuthuman and sealed his portal, ensuring he could never return. They met with Hammen one last time to confirm their survival before retreating to the countryside to raise their child, whom they intended to name after him.

Thus ended the Time of Troubles, a period that had nearly consumed Kush in blood and fire but ultimately led to its rebirth.